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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

My History of Athletics

Because nothing is more awesome than embarrassing old photos...I present my history of athletics.

My parents started me early in sports. I took my first swim lesson when I was six months old. I continued to take swim lessons every year until I was 12 years old when I ran out of lessons to take. I also took a course in diving and a course in life saving. I never swam on a competitive swim team, though.

I know you're jealous of that haircut!

I started playing softball in kindergarten and played all the way through middle school. I played both pitcher and second base and dude, I could steel a base. Even in high school, I was asked every spring to play for the team. I hung up my cleats in the 8th grade and haven't played since.

Look how my name stretches all the way across my T-shirt!

I was a late bloomer when it came to starting gymnastics. Although I took one lesson when I was three, I didn't really start gymnastics until I was 7. But I loved it and I was good at it. After only one year of classes I made the competitive team and competed until I was 15. I racked up many ribbons, medals, and trophies, but my all-time best was winning the state championship on the floor exercise when I was 12. Although I loved gymnastics and was hoping to do it in college, injuries and the fun of high school sports brought my gymnastics career to a close.

In high school I played tennis and ran track. I didn't suck either. I was a regional qualifier in both tennis and track. I played mostly 2nd and 3rd singles in tennis, but played doubles in the tournament. I will always hold the title of the first girl to receive four varsity letters in tennis as I was the only freshman on the team the year tennis became a varsity sport. In track I ran everything (our team was a whopping 12 girls)! My events were mostly 4X800, 4X200, open 400, and 4X400. I held the school record in both the 400 and the 4X400 until I graduated and the school got an all weather track.

Yep, that's right. We played on clay.

That's me in the white. Kickin' a$$!

In college I tried out and made the women's rowing team. I was a coxswain in the novice "A" boat. I only did it for one year. It was fun, but the coach was WAY intense and I was at school to study. I'm a little bummed I didn't stick it out a second year and achieve my varsity letter at the collegiate level.

Finally, I took up distance running after college when I didn't know what to do with all my time now that I wasn't studying. I ran my first marathon in 2001.